Classifier.



Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

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H. B. HALLOWELL.

CLASSIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. IoI I9I5.

lll/l HENRY B. HALLOWELL, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLASSIFIER.

Application filed March 10, 1915.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. HALLownLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at vWorcester, in the county of lVorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Classifiers, of which the following is a specificatiomreference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to mechanisms for sorting or classifying solids, but more particularly to such as are adapted for separating particles of minerals of different sizes in different compartments.

Numerous structures have been devised for the classifying of minerals of which the two best knowif types are what have been termed the hydraulic classifier and the hydraulic jig. No attempt will be made here to describe a jig and its operations for there are a great many different kinds of these mechanisms,` and the general principle involved in all is well known to those skilled in the art.

In what is known as the classifier, heretofore, it has .generally been customary to feed mineral matter to a chamber connected with a water pipe in which there is a liow of water which is intermittent in the pulsator type. The flow of water from the pipe enters the chamber near its bottom, and leaves such chamber at, or near, its top. The lighter particles of mineral are carried upwardly by the flow of the water while the heavy particles sink in the chamber, and are drawn oii' at or near the bottom thereof. The size of the particles carried upward by the water is dependent upon therapidity of the upward flow of such water, and this is adjusted by means of a control valve in the inlet pipe. In separating comparatively coarse particles of mineral, this structure has generally been found to be satisfactory, but where it is necessary to separate eX- ceedingly fine particles, such, for instance, as the finer grades of abrasives, it has been found that the density of the water is so 4great that it carries substantially all of the particles upward, and, therefore, practically no classifying takes place. In the polishing of optical lenses it is particularly important that a very fine abrasive be used, but this has been practically impossible to obtain for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 13,382.

which very much liner grades may be separated than has heretofore been possible. A chamber is used in Very much the same way as in earlier classifiers, and this chamber is preferably provided with an inlet pipe entering near its bottom, and an outlet connection above such inlet connection. Likewise t-he mineral is preferably fed into such chamber above such inlet connection, but instead of feeding the mineral into water in the chamber, the dry particles of the mineral are subjected in such chamber to a current of air issuing from the inlet connection. yWhile it is not essential, yet it has been found to be advantageous, that this current of air should be intermittent, and in they preferred embodiment of the structure, which will be hereinafter described, mechanism for producing this intermittent current will be included, but it should be clearly understood that the invention is not limited to this particular form. Suitable means for collecting the particles of mineral passing upwardly into the outlet connection are provided. Air being of much less density than water is less capable of supporting solids than water, or, in other words, a given body will sink a considerably greater distance in air in a given time, than the same body would in water in the same period. Therefore, a body which was not sufliciently heavy to sink in water more rapidly than a current of water could force it upwardly, might do so in a current of air of equal strength, and similarly it would take a lighter particle of solid to be carried upwardly by a given curi-ent of air than with a like current of water. When an exceedingly line grade of mineral is desired the air current may be made very light, and only the finest particles will be carried through the outlet passage. By increasing the strength of the air current, heavier particles may be carried upwardly by the air, and, therefore, it will be seen that the full range of operations of the water classifier are possible, and also a much larger rangeis possible.

A large variety of different designs of structures might be used for performing this operation but only one of these will be shown in the drawings for the purpose of illustration.

Many other features and advantagesl of the present invention will be described hereinafter, nand included in the claims.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings in which the figure is a central vertical section of the invention complete.

Referring to the drawings the present embodiment of the device will be seen to comprise a casing 10, within which is a chamber 11, and near the base of this chamber is preferably provided a screen 12. Beneath this screen 12 is a second chamber 13 inclosed within a casing 14 which is here secured to the casing 11, although it might be formed integral therewith. Opening into this casing 14 is an inlet port 15 to which is secured in the present embodiment the oneway valve 16, of any desired type. This valve 16 is mounted in the housing 17 which is secured to the casing 14, and such housing is adapted to have its port 18 connected to an air inlet pipe not shown. On the stem 19 of this valve is here mounted a pulley 20 adapted to be driven by a belt or other suitable means from a motor or other source of power supply so that a continuous rotation of such valve will be obtained.

Secured to the upper extremity of the casing 10 is a casing 21 here separate from casing 10 although it may be formed integral therewith, and the chamber within such casing forms a continuation of the chamber l1. Opening into this chamber is the outlet port 22 which is preferably at, or near the top of such chamber, and preferably inclined downwardly to cause all particles of matter entering such passage to be conducted into the collector 23. This collector 23 'is in the present embodiment a bag of cloth which is secured upon the neck 24 by means of the collar 25 or other suitable means.

Passing through the casing 21 preferably at its top is a pipe 26, having its lower eX- tremity opening into the chamber 11. A hopper 27 or other form of receptacle is preferably secured to the upper extremity ot this pipe 26, or the casing adjacent ther-eto, to receive the mineral to be classified and means may be provided, if desired, for controlling the iow of such mineral into the pipe 26.

At the base of the casing 14 is formed a port or outlet 28 to permit the large particles of mineral to be withdrawn from such casing as will be described more fully hereinafter.

A suitable control valve is preferably connected to the inlet pipe to regulate the pressure of air upon such valve, but as such controlling means are exceedingly common in the art, no illustration is here deemed necessary.

In operation, the air inlet pipe is connected to a suitable source of air supply and the pressure of air is regulated by a control valve as was mentioned above so that when 1 the valve 16 open, as is shown in the drawings, proper strength of air current will be admitted to the chamber 13 through the port 15 to produce the desired air current therein. The valve 16 is then rotated at the desired speed by the mechanism hereinbefore described so that this valve is alternately opened and closed to cause an intermittent current of air to enter the chamber 13, and from there pass upwardly into the chamber 11. As soon as this valve has been started in operation the particles of mineral in the dry granular form are put into thehopper 27, permitted to iiow slowly down the pipe 26, and be discharged at the mouth 29 into the chamber 11. Here the heavier particles pass downwardly through. the

screen 12, whereas the lighter particles are plate to prevent any lumps of small particles passing into chamber 13. The larger particles become gradually sifted through such screen.

To the opening 28 may be connected a pipe 30 which may convey the larger particles to a receptacle or may be connected with a second machine of a similar nature to act in series with the rst machine, and this second machine may be likewise connected with a third and so on.

In the present application, the word air has been used to mean any gas as distinguished from a liquid and it should be so understood.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the class described, a casing inclosing a substantially elongated chamber, means for admitting solid matter to be classied to said chamber, means for subjecting the solid matter falling in said chamber to successive blasts of air separated by a period of rest, an air outlet port in the upper portion of said casing, and means for separating the air passing out said port from the particles of solid matter suspended in such air.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing substantially inclosing a chamber, means for substantially continuously feeding dry solid matter to be classitied to said chamber, means for subjecting the solid matter when entering said chamber to an intermittent upward current of air in said chamber.7 and outlet means for the air 1n said chamber.

3. In a device of the class described, a casing substantially inclosing a chamber, means for substantially continuously feeding solid matter to be classified to said chamber, means for subjecting the solids entering said chamber to an intermittent upward air current of predetermined intensity, means for permitting the escape of the air from said chamber adjacent to the top of said casing, and means for sifting the solids Jfrom the air escaping Jfrom said chamber.

4. In a device of the' class described, a casing inclosing a chamber, means for substantially continuously feeding solid matter to be classified to said chamber, means for an intermittent current of air under pressure to said chamber below the point of admission of said solid matter, and means for permitting the escape of the air from said chamber above the point of admission of said solid matter.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing inclosing a chamber, means for substantially continuously feeding solid matter to be classied to said chamber, and means for admitting an intermittent current of air to said chamber below the point of admission of said solid matter and causing such current of air to pass through the material falling in said chamber, permitting the escape of such air from said chamber above the point of admission of said solid matter.

6. In a device of the class described a casing inclosing a chamber, means for substantially continuously feeding solid matter to be classified to said chamber, means for passing through the falling matter in said chamber an intermittent current of air, means for permitting the escape of the air from said chamber near its top, means for filtering the solid matter carried upwardly by said air from such air as it leaves said chamber, and means for conducting the solid matter falling to the bottom of said casing from 'such casing.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY B. HALLOWELL.

Witnesses HARTLEY W. BARTLETT, G. H. LOW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner o! Patents, Washington, D. C." 

